When Destiny Was Unknown
by blackpoppies
Summary: A simple one-off on the lives of Tonks, Remus and Teddy before the Battle


When Destiny Was Unknown

Remus Lupin smiled placidly to himself as he stood in his living room, looking out of the window. It was a swelteringly hot summers day and a large orange sun was shining down intensely on the yellowing lawn.

Dora was stretched out on the ground with her arms around baby Teddy, who was sat on her stomach. She was wearing denim shorts and red flip flops with a tight camisole top of dark pink. Her hair was light blonde; falling loosely about her shoulders, while teddy wore a pale blue baby grow and a ridiculously oversized hat that was continually falling over his eyes. The pair were lying lazily in the shade of an old elm tree that grew in the street, thrusting it's shadow across the garden, Teddy giggling appreciatively as Dora screwed up her face, causing her nose to contort into outlandish shapes.

Remus watched from the window for a while, chuckling softly to himself, until Dora spotted him. She grinned at him, and waved with one hand, grasping Teddy's arm in the other so that he too was waving. Remus waved back, and wandered out into the garden to join them.

"Hi," Dora smiled, handing him Teddy and pulling herself into a sitting position. Remus gently lowered himself to the ground so that the three of them were sat together on the yellow lawn He placed his arm around Dora, planting a kiss on the top of her head as she leaned it on his shoulder. Teddy gurgled happily and allowed his arms to flail about aimlessly until they found his father's index finger. Remus looked down at the tiny fingers wrapped around his own. He exhaled slowly, savouring this perfect moment. Savouring Dora's breath on his neck, Teddy's giggles ringing out through the garden. He felt for a moment as though time itself had stopped for them; as though nothing else could ever happen, and nothing else existed. He knew that time would eventually progress, that they would have to move, and that one day, be it tomorrow or years in the future, he would be forced to leave them and fight, not knowing whether he would return, but for now he could ignore everything that the future might throw at him, and bask in the beauty of the present.

They remained there for a while; Teddy giggling hysterically as Dora tickled his feet lazily, Remus running his hands gently through her soft, sweet smelling hair, but suddenly, without warning, Teddy ceased laughing and began crying loudly.

Dora threw Remus a puzzled look, but within a few moments they too felt what it was that had so distressed there son. A cold chill had swept through the garden, a heavy darkness descended over everything.

Remus leapt to his feet and retrieved his wand from his pocket. Holding it aloft he called, "get in the house!" to Dora, who was stood behind him, a screaming Teddy perched on her hip, wand raised in a manner that suggested that she was preparing to fight.

"I mean it Dora! Get in the house'.

She shook her head firmly, "No, I'm staying."

"Get in the house and take Teddy with you! I'm not having him out here now," Remus called over the roaring of the wind, which had suddenly picked up, and Teddy's bawling.

Grudgingly she placed her wand in her pocket and walked dejectedly into the house.

Remus' hands were clammy, and shook horribly. He could barely hold his wand straight.

Silence. Empty silence, and a roaring in his ears. Then screaming. Loud yells of terror; of a mother watching her only son endure terrible pain, yet also fearing for her own life.

Teddy's cries from within the house mingled with the screams in his mind. The dementors loomed into view. Voices; voices in his mind. "NOOOOOooo..."

He was reliving his first transformation.

"NO! God no!" Louder and louder. His mother's voice echoing in his ears.

The Dementors were gliding nearer and nearer, their robes flying eerily behind them. Ghostlike, thought Remus.

His mother's piercing screams filled his ears. He could hear nothing else now. The Dementors were only metres away. He scoured his mind for any trace of a happy memory, but it was like searching through a fog. Nothing would come. He opened his mouth to speak the incantation, but found no voice.

The nearest Dementor was now so close that he could feel it's clammy breath on his face. Slowly, it raised a hand to it's hood.

_This is it, _thought Remus, _the last thing I'm ever going to hear is my mother's screams_. But he had no strength to fight back. He barely had the strength to feel at al. It as though every last emotion had vanished in some great void.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A silver wolf leapt from behind him, charging the Dementor down. As it, along with the others, backed away, he turned around and saw Dora's face lit by the silver glow of her patronus, her expression det and determined.

Remus looked into her eyes, thinking of how lucky he was to have her and Teddy, and he too bellowed "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Together the two wolf patronuses chased away the Dementors. Dora walked forwards to meet Remus and embraced him. For a while he let her, but he then stepped away and took her hands in his.

"I told you to stay inside," he reprimanded gently.

"Where would you be now if I had?" she smiled, "I'm a big girl Remus, I know how to fight."

"I know that Dora, but what about Teddy? What if something had happened to us both?"

"Don't talk like that Remus. We're always going to be there for Teddy. Always."


End file.
